


Protecting the One You Love

by wonderlandiscrumbling



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Ed might return Oswald's feelings, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of past child abuse, Oswald finds a different way of taking out Isabella, Oswald is in love with Ed, extreme violence, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 21:24:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13443687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderlandiscrumbling/pseuds/wonderlandiscrumbling
Summary: Ed sits and talks to Oswald about Isabella and explains to him why he wasn't able to break up with her, Oswald notices the bruise on his cheek and realizes that having her brake lines cut would be a bit too forgiving.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily inspired by a what if scenario I had seen on Tumblr. Plus the idea that so many minor and major changes in words and events in Gotham could cause larger changes for future events and relationships.

Oswald was seated by the fireplace, tumbler of whiskey held in his hand. He contemplated what he was going to do or more so what he was going to pay somebody else to do. He knew without a doubt that the woman had to die, there was no chance in hell that he was going to let her live. He frowned thinking about his altercation with her earlier in the day, the audacity she had to confront him, and tell her that she wasn’t going to let Ed go. He despised that this bleached blond girl thought she had any claim to Ed, she hardly knew him longer than a week, and barely even that long. He knew Ed thought he loved her, he loved who she looked like, and nothing more. He took a drink wincing at the slight burn, he wondered what it would be like if he allowed her to live. He knew without a doubt that Ed wasn’t going to break up with her, he wasn’t the type to exactly have the bravery to walk away from a bad relationship. He sighed knowing there was a high chance that she would end up like the last girl, he wasn’t entirely sure why Ed had killed Ms. Kringle, he never went too deeply into detail about those things. He did know though that something would happen, and he’d kill this woman as well. He thought on it and felt rather sick as he realized how horribly it might wreck Ed, whatever happened to Ed that lead to such violent outbursts seemed to be something that horrified him. He pondered if he should try and broach the topic, ask him if he could disclose what was the matter.

He was pulled from his reverie when he heard the clicking of shoes on the hardwood floor, he looked up to see Ed entering the room. He looked happy, a bit guilty, but happy none the less, Oswald felt rather irritated knowing the reason why he was happy. 

“So, how did she take it?” He casually questioned.

Ed stopped in his tracks, smile fading as a look of guilt and confusion took over his features until he realized what his dear friend actually meant by that question.

“Oh, it went well….Great actually, well I think that it went great anyways.” He responded, he furrowed his brow in confusion and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose when they started to slip.

Oswald finished off his drink then set the glass on the stand next to his chair. He gestured for Ed to sit in the chair next to his, obediently his friend came in to sit by his side. 

“Did you break up with her?”

Ed looked away from him, again he was pushing at his glasses, then fidgeting with his fingers. “Well I, I tried to, I mean I was, but then….She told me that perhaps breaking up wouldn’t be a good idea.”

Oswald turned his full attention to him, he raised a brow at that statement feeling rather irritated at the situation at hand. He knew he just had to send a simple text to Gabe and she would be dead, he could type it out without even tearing his eyes away from Ed’s striking features and she would be dead within the hour. Oswald leaned in closer as he noticed something he hadn’t quite caught before until Ed was sitting by his side, Ed looked at him then averted his eyes fully knowing what his friend just saw. 

“Ed, is that a bruise?” He asked, voice firm yet gentle. He’d caught on recently that Ed wasn’t entirely comfortable when he raised his voice towards him. 

“Yes, it isn’t a big deal, my fault really. We were talking, I was telling her I don’t think I should stay, it isn’t a big deal really. I was panicking so she slapped me.”

He felt a sudden flare up of rage at that, Ed seemed to know he was angry, because he dove right back into explaining and defending, still avoiding eye contact.

“She just wanted to prove to me that I won’t hurt her, she just wanted to show me that she trust me, and knows that I won’t kill her.” 

Oswald tentatively reached out, fingers lightly touching along the bruise on his cheek. It wasn’t anything terribly dark, but certainly noticeable to him. He swallowed hard doing his best to bite back his rage, he felt a bit of heartache when Ed flinched at his touch. A worrying doubt entered his mind that Ed flinched because it was him touching him, he wouldn’t want him touching him. 

“Sorry, does it hurt?” 

Ed shook his head, he looked at him smiling reassuringly. “No, it doesn’t. She really is a nice woman, this was just a one time thing.” 

The words sounded familiar, he’d seen enough women in bars and restaurants assuring concerned friends that it was just one time. He thought of movies and shows on TV he had seen as a teenager while his mother would be at work, dramas about abuse. There was something off about Ed, the look in his eyes came off as rather pleading as if he was desperate for this conversation to end. The thought struck him that just like the women on TV dramas and the women he’d overheard in bars, Ed was lying. 

“I just worry, you’re my friend, and I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

He wasn’t too sure what to say, he knew what words he wanted to speak, to blurt out. He felt the urge to plead with him to just leave her, to tell him that he was in love with him, and he’d rather have somebody cut off his hands than to ever hurt him. He let out a heavy sigh instead of spilling his guts, he knew it was useless, and at this point he doubted Ed loved him back. He was startled when Ed took hold of his hand giving it a gentle squeeze, he looked down at their joined hands then back up to his face. 

“Thank you, truly. Nobody before has cared about my well-being, you’re a good friend Oswald.” The words were quietly spoken, his voice breaking slightly. 

Oswald felt his heart breaking when he saw the tears glinting in gorgeous brown eyes, he shivered as he felt Ed’s thumb stroking over the back of his hand. So badly he wanted to kiss him, he could feel the words ‘I love you’ in his throat, choking him so desperate to just come out. He’d spent so many days, months practically just trying to come up with the correct poetic way to confess his love to him but found that impossible. Now he was wondering if it even needed to sound like words off a page. Before he could say a thing, Ed let go of his hand and got up from his seat.

“I should really get to bed, we have a lot of work to go over in the morning. Good night, Oswald.” 

He sat wordlessly watching his friend as he left the room, once he was out of sight he let out a heavy sigh feeling once more like a complete idiot until that sense of rage took over again. He pulled out his phone, fingers shaking as he pulled up Gabe’s number. The thought of having her brake lines cut had been appealing, but now he found himself wanting a less forgiving method of death.


	2. Chapter 2

“Guard the door, that’s the only thing I need you to do.” Oswald ordered Gabe as they approached the apartment.

The large older man looked down at him, eyes tired and often reminding him of a stupid dying dog. Yet he was loyal, loyal by default or loyal due to the fact he was being paid a few thousand dollars for this job, it didn’t matter to Oswald. 

“What if somebody shows up?”

“Send them away, if they don’t leave then kill them.” He replied as he began angrily knocking on the door.

He could hear her muffled voice from inside, clipped and annoyed that somebody was pounding on her door at two in the morning. He knew he should have just slit her throat when he had visited her that morning, it would have saved him the trouble of leaving his home so late at night, and if he had killed her then, then she never would have laid a hand on Ed. 

As the door swung open he was rather taken aback by her appearance. Now Oswald just barely recalled what Kristen Kringle had looked like, he remembered seeing her a couple of times in the GCPD, and he did vaguely recall her picture being in the papers for weeks after her remains had been discovered. He did remember enough to feel sick and slightly startled to see Isabella looking exactly like her. 

The two stood looking each other over, she looked at him in confusion as if wanting to question what he was doing at her home so late and why he was looking at her as if she were a ghost. He pondered asking her if she was completely and utterly out of her mind, which by all evidence she appeared to be. 

“So, I see you decided to spice up your look to snare Ed.” He commented as he shoved past her and entered the apartment. 

She eyed Gabe, before she could ask questions, the large man pushed her inside, he closed and locked the door blocking it with his massive frame. 

“What’s going on, why are you here?” 

Oswald turned to face her, a tight-lipped smile on his face as he stalked close to her. He thought he’d see fear when he stared into her eyes, but he didn’t. He only saw that stubborn determination as she puffed out her chest and straightened up to make herself taller than him, the heels helping immensely. 

“I spoke with Ed.”

A smile crossed her lips, eyes brightening as she realized once more what this was about. “He told you that we’re still a couple I’m gathering, I really did hope he would stay the night, but I have to leave early so he had to go. I’m considering asking him to move in with me when I get back, I think it would be better for him to live with me.” 

He felt enraged as she prattled on, he could feel his left eye twitch. “Ed is not going to be moving in with you.”

She tilted her head in confusion, “That’s up to him to decide, is it not?”

“Funny for you to say that, you dressed yourself up like a dead girl, refused to let him leave, and hit him just to guilt him into staying with you. You’re a pathetic girl that I’m growing very tired of hearing about and seeing.” 

“You don’t understand what happened or the way we feel about each other, I did all of this to prove that I love him.” She said gently pulling at her dyed red locks of hair.

Before she started speaking again Oswald unscrewed the top of his cane, as he pulled out the knife she was starting to talk again, her words cut off as he plunged the blade into the front of her throat. Her eyes widened and bulging, hands immediately going to the blade desperately clawing at it trying to remove it. He snarled and growled, her blood spraying across his face when he pulled the blade free of her flesh. She placed a shaking hand over the gaping hole in her throat, blood spilling between her fingers and down the front of her top. 

“You do not deserve him.” He growled out as he plunged the blade into her stomach. 

He repeatedly stabbed her until the gurgling stopped, eyes glazing as her limp body slid to the floor. He stepped back, his grip tight on the handle of his blade as he breathed heavily. He glared down at her, body shaking as he felt residual rage flow through his body.

“We done here boss?” Gabe asked, tone bored as he looked from the dead librarian to his blood-soaked boss.

Oswald glared up at him, considered shooting him until he realized he needed him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then let it out. He put his knife away then pushed his fingers back through his hair fully realizing he would need to bathe immediately when he returned home, he prayed to God that Ed was still sleeping.

“Call your guys, acid bath, burn her clothes, and dump whatever is left far outside of city limits. Understand?”

“Sure thing.”

“Good.”

He looked at her mangled remains once more before turning and leaving the apartment. He wondered if he could live with what he’d just done, he laughed realizing it wasn’t the worst thing in the world, and besides he’d done it to keep Ed safe.


	3. Chapter 3

Washing the blood off had been difficult and frustrating, he’d spent nearly an hour in the bath scrubbing under his nails and washing her blood from his hair. He felt a bit sick sitting in the tinted water, he hoped that Gabe and his group of morons could do what he’d ordered them to do without screwing it up. He didn’t want Ed knowing about this, he hoped he wouldn’t figure it out. He sighed heavily as he realized he could never tell him about what happened, he smiled a bit realizing he was carrying on a family tradition of keeping secrets to protect loved ones. He just hoped this didn’t go badly.

Once he was certain all blood was washed away he got out of the tub, he dried off and changed into more casual attire before returning to his bedroom. He paused in the doorway when he saw Ed sitting on the edge of his bed, the man wearing a black tank top, and shorts that he was caught between considering obscenely short or perfect length.

“Ed, what are you doing in here?” He asked cautiously approaching his bed.

Immediately he feared that he somehow knew, that he’d seen him come in, and put the pieces together. When Ed looked at him though he realized he didn’t know, he couldn’t. He appeared to be crying, it appeared he’d been crying for quite some time actually. Oswald seated himself by his side, he wanted to wrap his arm around his waist and hold him, but he feared crossing a line with him.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s rude to intrude, and I should have knocked. I can leave if you want.” He started as if to get up, Oswald placed a hand on his arm holding him back.

“No, you can stay, I just didn’t expect to see you in here this time of night. Is everything alright?” He cursed himself for asking a stupid question, he was crying, he was obviously not alright.

“Yes, well no. Just, I was thinking about our conversation earlier, about what you said, and I was thinking about what happened when I’d visited Isabella earlier.” He fell quiet, he stared down at the floor and nervously chewed his bottom lip as he struggled to find the proper way to say what he needed to say.

Oswald took hold of his hand giving it a gentle squeeze, he found himself so badly wanting to help him, but feeling like there were a thousand pieces of the puzzle missing.

“I think that you were right, about me breaking up with her. I know that I can’t break up with her, if I call her or if I go to her apartment again I know that the same thing will happen, and I won’t be able to end things with her. There are some things I never told you or anybody really, I suppose they’re just things I just don’t want to spend time thinking about, because I’m scared of remembering.”

Carefully Oswald brushed his fingers through Ed’s hair, he noticed him tense and worried he upset him until the other man turned his head to look at him. Oswald gently brushed his fingers against his cheek touching along the bruise marring his lovely pale skin. “You can tell me, only if you want of course.”

“My dad abused me when I was growing up, it was terrible. Well not always terrible, somedays it was just yelling, sometimes just being slapped, and other days it was much worse. I always came up with excuses for him, I’d actually spend my free time just thinking up the reasons why it was my fault that he hurt me. I’m scared of falling back into a pattern like that, if she comes here I’m not sure what I’ll do.” More tears rolled down his cheeks, his bottom lip trembling as he did his best to keep from breaking down into sobbing. 

Oswald brushed his tears away with the pad of his thumb. “She won’t come here and if she does I’ll be sure she doesn’t come near you. I promise.” 

Ed stared at him as if wondering if he should believe him or not, Oswald was surprised when he suddenly wrapped his arms around him hugging him tightly, face buried against his shoulder. He held him back rubbing his hand along his back. “It’s okay, everything is alright, and I’m so sorry that your father hurt you. It isn’t right the things that he did to you, it was in no way your fault.” 

He had a difficult time understanding how somebody could so horribly mistreat their own child, an even harder time trying to understand how somebody could hurt Ed especially. He did now feel he understood a few strange traits and quirks about his friend, things that before were strange or even frustrating, but now made him feel horrible for him. He felt saddened when Ed pulled back from his embrace, he watched as he wiped at his eyes, a shy smile tugging at his lips.

“I apologize for that, I didn’t mean to come in here and unload all of that on you.”

“You have no need to apologize, I feel honored that you wanted to share that with me.”

“I trust you, you’re the only person in my life that I’ve trusted like this, I always know I can rely on you.”

A part of him felt guilty, but guilt went away when he was drinking or when he was busying himself with work. Besides he was doing Ed a favor, he was keeping him safe, and looking out for his mental health. He took hold of his hand giving it a gentle squeeze. “I trust you as well, we can go downstairs and talk more if you like.”

Ed shook his head, “No I’m starting to feel better…. Perhaps if you’d like, I noticed tomorrow evening around five you have free time, and maybe I can take you out for dinner.”

He stared at him, mouth open as he tried to form words, hoping he could get himself to say yes or at least nod his head. “Yes, I would love to go to dinner with you.” He managed out, he could feel himself grinning as he forgot his guilt.

Ed smiled at him seemingly relieved that his invitation had been accepted. He got up from the bed and started towards the door, he stopped and turned to face him. “I figure I really do owe you for the dinner I skipped out on, I still feel so awful about that, and you never did get to tell me what you wanted to discuss.”

“Oh well…It’s, we can discuss it tomorrow over dinner.” He replied doing his best to keep his tone even.

Ed nodded before exiting the room quietly closing the door behind him. Oswald crawled into bed, mind reeling over the fact he was truly getting another chance to confess his love for him, and this time he didn’t plan on allowing anything to ruin it.


End file.
